Understanding Norovirus: Causes, Contagion and Cure

Norovirus (NoV) is one of the viruses known to be associated with acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of the gut). NoV infection can occur by consumption of infected food and water or by exposure to the usage of infected restrooms in restaurants, schools, etc. It is considered highly contagious and therefore a prompt, and strict curative response is required to avoid its spread across the community, failing which leads to NoV infection outbreaks as observed by both developed and developing countries, including India. The age groups that are majorly affected by the NoV include children and elderly people. The most common symptoms of norovirus infection are nausea, vomiting and severe diarrhoea, which may last for a week. Usually, these symptoms can be treated by practising good hygiene and staying hydrated. In rare cases, the need for hospitalisation arises. Several anti-viral agents and vaccine candidates were tried in trials for their safety and efficacy, but none of them could make it to the market. Therefore, developing an anti-viral agent is still an unmet need. In this chapter, we will review the history, clinical manifestations and causes of NoV infection-related gastroenteritis. In addition, we will also investigate the therapeutic development, challenges and recent advancements made in the field and necessary measures to contain the NoV spread.